Filtering apparatus for use with saccharine solutions



R. VACHIER. FILTERING APPARATUS FOR USE WITH SACCHARINE SOLUTIONS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8. 192|.

Patented Dec. 112, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEU l.

mmmmmm MN MMMMMMMM R. VACHIER.

FILTERING APPARATUS FOR USE WITH SACCHARINE SOLUTIONS.-

I A APPLICATION .FILED JUNE 8.1921. .n 11,43557'797 Patented Dec. l2, 1922.

5 SHEEIS-SHEEI 2. z 5; Fp@ y R. VACHIER.

FILTERIIIIG APPARATUS FOR USE WITH SACCHARINE SOLUTIONS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8.1921.

1,4383? 97, Patented Dec. l2, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

R. VACHIER.

FILTERING APPARATUS FOR USE WITH SACCHARINE SOLUTIONS. APPLICATION FILED 1uNE 8. 1921.

19438;? 9'? Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4. 6 D

R. VACHIER. FILTEHING APPARATUS FOR USE WITH SACCHARINE SOLUTIONS.

n n APPLICATION FILED IUNE B, |921. 194389.39 f.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

Patented Dec. T12, 11922.

Patented Dec.. l2, 1922.

uiten sTA'rEs imam PATENT ori-ica.

RAFAEL VACHIER, OF BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA.

FILTERING APPARATUS FOR USE WITH SACCHARINE SOLUTIONS.

Application led .Tune 8, 1921. Serial No. 475,996.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that 1,-RAFAEL VACHIER, a'

' Apparatus for Use with Saccharine Solutions; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates toimprovements in filtering apparatus as used in the manufac-y ture of sugar or syrup from cane or beets, or other sucrose yielding plants. It is more especially adapted for use in the vtreatment of raw juice from the cane mill, but it may be used in the further filtering of the par tially evaporated syrup in either the sugar factory or the sugar refinery, and is applicable to use in the manufacture of either cane, beet, or other sugars or syrups where made in large enough quantities to justify the construction of an apparatus to carry out the invention hereinafter described.

The invention may be rsed either to filterby similar reference symbols throughout the several?` viiews, and in, which Figure 1 is a. diagrammatic view showing inelevation a complete apparatus-illustrating two of the filter units.

Figure 2 shows a side elevation, on a larger scale, of one of the filter units, parts being broken away. l

Figure 3 is an end view of the device shown' in Figure 2, as seen from the left of said figure. i

Figure 4 is an end view of. the,device shown in Figure 2 as seen from the right of said figure. Y e

Figure 5 shows a section along the'. line 5-5 of Figure 2, and looking in the direc tions of the arrows.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the shown in Figures 2 and 3. with the cover removed. Figure device means ofthe pipe F, shown in dotted lines 7 shows a section along the line 7*-7 of Figure 5, and looking inithe direct1on of the arrows, the parts being shown on a i larger scale.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view showing a section along the line 8-8 of Figures 2 i and 6, but on-the same scale as shown in F lgure 7.

Figure 9 is a detail showing lin front ele-` vatlon one of the filter leaves used in th'e\ apparatus, and

Figure l0 shows a section along the line 10-10 of Figure 9, and looking in the direction`of the arrows. Y

Since the desired result depends more especially upon the construction and operation of the individualvfilter units, it Will `70 be `'more convenient to describe in detail one of these units, the construction of all of said units being substantially identical, before attempting to describe the operation of the complete apparatus.

The lconstruction of the entire filter unit is shown in the assembled relation in Figures 2 to 6, and details of same are shown in Figures 7 to l0, while the complete apparatus is shown diagrammatically in Figure 1.

preferably provided with a rounded bottom a and vertical sides a flanged at the top, as at a2. One ofthe ends kof the filter tank is closed with a plate A2, which is preferably slotted, as at a". see Figure/1, to permit the insertion of a tubular shaft'E, as will be hereinafter described'.

The other end of the filter tankis closed with a plate A', and the top of thetank is securely closed against pressure by means of the cover B vand bolts C. Any suitable packing could, of course, be used. The'- slot `to of the end plate A2 may be closed in any 'convenient way, as by means of the gate D and securing members D, see Figure 4.

The tank may be supported in any convenientv manner, as by suitable` feet A3, and the tank is also preferably provided with longitudinal plates mounted exterior to and along the sides thereof, as shown at A4 and A5, see Figures 2. 3 and 4f.

The tubular shaft E is connected. as by at the right in Figure 2, to any suitable source of water supply, as will be hereinafter so A represents the tank in which the va-.

described. The other end of this tubular shaft is closed, as at e, and 'this' closed end carries a gear wheel lil which meshes with a pinion G on the stub shaft G', see Figures 3 and 6. This stub shaft' may/be driven inany suitable way,V as by means of the pinion G2, see Figures 1 and 6, and the belt. G3, see Figure l. j

Mounted on the tubular shaft E are a series of filter leaves H, as shown in Figures 2 and 6 and in detail in Figures `9 and 10. These filter leaves H'consist of the U-shaped frames H to which are attached the foraminous sheets H2 and H3, as by means of the rivets it. see Figures'9 and 10.

Thesel foraminous sheets H2 and H3y may be made of suitable fine-mesh metal j wire or perforated metal, which is not apt to corrode, such ascertain well lmown nickel alloys. In order to slide'these leaves onto or remo-ve the. same from'the tubular shaft E, I provide central bearings, as shown in Figures. 9 and 10, which comprise the middleA ring I and the outer rings I', which are connected together by .the bolts or rivets i and form a tight joint with the edges of the sheets H2 and H3, The individual leaves are .connected at the top by the butt plates J to the pipes K, which are perforated at their bottom, as at c, with one end closed as at e and the other end-open as at 162,'and screw-threaded, as at k3, see Figure 10, to receive the cockjc Thus any liquid forced between the foraminous sheets H2 and H3 will tend to flow up into the pipe K, and may be drained od Ithrough the cock Ict. The ends of the pipes K, which project from the filter leaves, rest upon suitable supports L, see Figures 5 and 6', which are provided in Ithe interior of the tank A. On the eX- terior of the tank, I provide the trough M toreceive the filtered liquid, which trough is preferably provided witha partition m,

separating it into two troughs, one of which is drained by the pipe M', see Figures 3` and 5, and the other ,of which-is drained bythe pipe M2. The liquid may be deflected from the various cocks l# into either side of the. partition m by means of a suitable deflecting plate M3, which may be I turned to engage either one or the other of v pipes the stops m or m2, see Figures 3 and 5.

The tubular shaft E is provided with a series of screw-threaded openings e0 to en'- gage the screw-threaded ends p of the spray P, .which pipes are adjustably mounted in place by. means of the nuts P', see Figure 8. These spray pipes P are provided 'with asseries of spray openings, such as the slots p0, see Figures 7 and 8, and fastened to these Spray pipes are brackets Q secured to the pipes P by the straps Q and bolts g, as shown in Figure 5, and in detail in Figure 7 These brackets Q carry the scraping blades R and S, see Figures rasate? 5 and 7, and the pipes P with the brackets .Q and the blades R and S are rotated between adjacent leaves in either clockwise or anti-clockwise direction, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

The scraping blades R and S are adjust* ably mounted on the brackets so as to be closer to or further from the base of the filter leaf for reasons that will be hereinafter described.

Fach filter unit is provided with a manifold N at the bottom thereof which may be used for charging or for emptying the filter tank, or for washing out same, as will be hereinafter described.

Compressed air may be supplied to the upper part of the filter tank by means of the pipe T controlled by the valve t and,

similarly, compressed air may be supplied Referring now to the diagram of the Y complete apparatus shown in Figure l, U represents the motor, which is preferably an electric 'motor and drives the power shaft U', which shaft drives the various moving parts of the apparatus, such as the force pumps V and V and the belts G3. Suitable clutch mechanisms are provided, where required, such as are shown at U2 and U3.

The force pump V for supplying water for the flushing system is connected to any suitable source of water supply not shown, and delivers water under pressure through the fiushing main F. There should be one of these force pumps V for each filter unit, one only being shown in Figure l.

1W is an overhead tankto receive the raw juice which is located at a sufiicient height to permit the liquid to be filtered to flow down in the apparatus under suflicient pressure. This tank W is connected by the pipes W0 and W and Wo and W2, respectively, to the manifold N of the first filter unit, and the pipe W2 is connected by the pipe W3 to the manifold N of the second filter unit, and so on indefinitely, only one overhead tank'W being needed to supply the raw juice to any' desired number of fil ter units. Of course, suitable valves will be provided wherever needed in the apparatus to control the fiow of liquid through the various pipes, passages, or receptacles` for liquid.

The pipe W is also provided with a branch pipe `W4 to draw off any desired quantity of liquid to the mixing chamber X, where the finely divided filtering material is mixed in as will be hereinafter described. The liquid from the mixing chamber X may be carried by the pipes X and X2 to the manifold N of the first filter unit, and by the pipes X and X3 to the manprovided in the system.

The filtered liquor fromy eachy filter unit is carried from the trough M by the pipe Y to the pressure pump V whence it is forced through the pipe Y to the overhead tank Z, whence it flows through the pipe Z to the manifold N of the second filter unit.

The manifold N of eachv filter unit is pro? vided with a waste pipe N connected to the ditchor sewer, and with a` pipe N2 for sup` plying hot water, and a'pipe N3 for supplyiin live steam. v

aving thus described the details of the apparatus comprising a system composed of two filter units, I will now proceed to describe the operation of the system, it being understood that the'number of filter units may be, within limits, increased indefinitely.'

The apparatus is adapted to be used either to first filter the raw juice and then de-colorf ize. and filter the liquid coming from the first'filterunit; or it may be used to filter and' de-colorize the saccharine solutions formed at any of theearlier stages incident tothe manufacture of the sugar.

The use of the apparatus in the filtering of raw j nice and the subsequent filtering and de-colorizing of the juice from the first filter unit will, first be described.

The raw juice from the mills is supplied from the heatersgnot shown, to the overhead tank W through the pipe W".

In beginning the operation on each filter l unit, a portion `of this juice is drawn ofi' through the pipe Wi* into the mixing chamber X where it is thoroughly mixed with an excess o a suitable porous yfiltering medium, such askieselguhr, or the like; and the mixture holding the filtering medium in suspension is conveyed through the pipes X vand X? and the manifold N of the first filter unit to the filter tank' above the manifold;

the liquid flows upwards between the filter leaves, and the porous filtering medium forms a film or thin cake over the filtering surfaces, thus pre-coating the filter frames. Now the raw juice is turned on through the pipe W and fiowing in the filter tank under pressure it passes through this film, leaving most of the solid particles caught by the' The filtered liquid runs from the trough M through one or the other of the pipes M or M2, and is carried by the pipe Y to the force pump V, and is forced through the pipe Y to the overhead tank Z, where it is mixed with any suitable de-colorizing agent,

`such as one of the various kinds of carbon used for the purpose, and then it is carried by gravity through the pipe Z to the manifold N of the second filter unit.

' The filtered liquid flows as a clear liquid from the second unit, and therefrom a high grade white sugar may be ultimately manufactured in the usual way.

When the liquid starts to run slowly at the faucets the filter unit has done its work, and is ready to be cleaned out.

incident to the cleaning-out operation, compressed air is turned on through the pipe T; this displaces the juice left in the cake,` which runaway juice is blown back to tank W through the pipe W2.

The next operation is the sweetening off of the cakes. Warm water at 20-30 lbs. pressure is allowed to flow in through the pipe N2 and out of the faucets until the escaping liquid does not taste sweet any longer; after which the supply of warm water is shut off.

Then comes the final operation, the flushing out or true cleaning of the mud cakes; the mechanism for rotating the hollow shafts E being turned, the Scrapers start to tumble down the cakes; at the same time water at 75 to 100 lbs. pressure is turnedl on to the fluid pressure main F and flows int'o the hollow shaft E, out of the small flushing pipes radiating therefrom, washing out the particles of mud or the like left on the filter frames; and the mixed mud and VWater flow out of manifold N through the Waste pipe N.

Thus we complete the pure filtering pro.- ess in four stages:

(a) Precoating and filtering,

(b) Blowing-back,

(o) Sweetening-off,

(d) Flushing out.

In the second process or de-colorization of the filtered juice, the bright juice obtained from the first filter unit is drawn by the turbine pump V through the pipe Y, and is forced through the pipe Y tothe tank Z located at a convenient height (to produce 20-30 lbs.l pressure), where the required amount of decolorizing char is added and intimately mixed with the liquid` after" which the liquid flows through the second filter unit inthe same fashion as was done in the first. After this second filtration the juice comes out not only bright but decolorized, thus filling the two essential requisites to produce standard granulated sugar.

The second filter unit, however, differs from the first in that the Scrapers primarily itc are set a further distance from the frames than in the scraping operation, and are kept ronstantly moving (backwards) so as to form a carbon cake of constant thickness.

AVhen the char is spent and it does not continuous and may be repeated indefinitely.

Where it is desired to treat saccharine solutions other than raw juice, such, for instance, as syrup in the process of refining, the operation is substantially similar to that referred to in connection with the second step of treating the raw juice, that is the mechanical filtering medium such as. kieselguhr, or the like may be omitted, a portion of the syrup to be de-colorized and filtered maybe first treated with the de-colorizing agent, such as one o-f the various forms of carbon, and formed into a cake or film o n the filter frames, after which the syrup 1s forced through this film under pressure and comes out a clear de-colorized liquid.

Incident to this operation the Scrapers should be continuously run backwards as before described, stirring up the mass, and

keeping a uniform thickness of de-colorized` film .on the filter frames and smoothing off the same, and when the operation is completed in any filter unit that unit is blown back, sweetened 'off and flushed out, as previously described.

In the operation of cleaning out the filter unit the Scrapers are run in the forward direction, causing the char to tumble downas .before described. In this second operation vit will not be necessary to have the Scrapers as close to the filter frames as at first, where large quantities of mud and other foreign properties had to be removed. These scrapers can be initially set at\the desired distance from the corresponding filter frame by giving the brackets Q a slight lateral tilt relative to the spray pipes P. This adjustment, of course, would have to be made before the filter frames are assembled on the shaft E. In order. to provide for the smoothing effect' when'rotatedl in one drection, or for the scraping effect when rotated in the opposite direction, the Scrapers R are preferably curved outwards, as shown at 1' in Fig. 7.

During the operation. compressed air may be admitted through. the pipes T2 to keep the liquid well stirred up and to hold the particles of yfiltering orrdecolorizing material in suspension therein.

Lesage? In order to assemble the parts, suppose the filter tank A. to be empty, except for the air pipes "I" and T2, and suppose the several parts carried by the rotating shaft to be in the dis-assembled relation. y

rIhe spray pipes and filter frames are al# ternately mounted on the hollow shaft E in the general relation shown in Figure 6. Each spray pipe P is screwed into the shaft E as shown in Fig. 8, and is set at the desired inclined position by means of the lock nut P so that the Scrapers will be at the proper distance from the adjacent filter frames. The 'first filter frame is next slipped in place over the end of the shaft E, then the next pair of spray pipes, then the next filter frame, etc., until the shafts E, with the spray pipe fastened thereto, and the filter frames mounted thereon, become a complete structure suchas 'shown in F ig. 6. This structure is then lifted as a wholel into the filter tank, and one end of the tubular shaft mounted opposite the end of the flushing.

main l?,A shown in Fig. 2.

The plate`.D is secured in lace by means of the clamps D, the top of the filter tank is put in place, and made air-tight by means of the bolts C, and the apparatus isl ready for use.

In order to dis-assemble the parts, re-.'

moye the top B of the filter tank, remove the filter plate I) and the clamps D', disconnect the inner end of the shaft E and hoist the shaft E with the parts carried thereby out of the tank, when the filter frames and spray pipes may be removed for purposes'of cleaning, or repair, or renewal. f

'Ihus it will be seen that the filter frames, spray. pipes, etc. can be lifted bodilyv together with the shaft Erout of the filter tank and will be conveniently accessible for renewal or repair. f

Withthe herein described arrangements, it will be unnecessary to use filter bags or the like, as these are very troublesome, are

apt to wear out or leak, and prove `very un satisfactory in practice. i l.

It will be obvious that various modifications might be made in the herein described apparatus, and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts which could `ent of the United States is: i f

1. A filler unit for use in apparatus of the character described comprising a closed meager tank, a hollow tubular shaft revolubly mounted in said tank, a series of filter frames removably supported in said tank and loosely mounted upon said shaft and spaced apart thereon, a series of laterally perforated spray pipes radially mounted on said shaft and projecting between said frames, scrapers mounted on said spray pipes, means for rotating said shaft when desired, and means for supplying flushing fluid to the interior of said shaft.

2. A filter unit for use in apparatus of the character described comprising a closed tank, a hollow tubular shaft revolubly mounted in said tank, a series of filter frames removably supported in said tank and loosely mounted upon said shaft and spaced apart thereon, a series of laterally perforated spray pipes radially mounted on saidvshaft and project-ing between said frames, scrap-v ers carried by said spray pipes, means for adjusting the distance between each scraper and the adjacent frame, means for rotating said shaft when desired, and means for supplying flushing fluid to the interior of said shaft.

3. A filter unit for use in apparatus of the character described comprising a closed tank, a hollow tubular shaft revolubly mounted in said tank, a series of .filter frames removably supporte-d in said tank and loosely mounted upon said shaft and spaced apart thereon, a series of laterally perfo-A rated spray pipes radially mounted on said shaft and projecting between said frames, Scrapers mounted on said spray pipes, means for rotating said shaft either clockwise or counter-clockwise as desired, and means for ysupplying fiushing fluid to the interior of supplying fiushing fiuid to the interior of said shaft.

5. A filter unit for use in apparatus of the character described comprising a closed tank, a hollow tubular shaft revolubly mounted in said tank, a series of filter frames removably supported in said tank and loosely mounted upon said shaft and spaced apart thereon, each filter frame comprising a pair of foraminous sheets of metal spaced apart, with a supporting pipe secured in the upper end of the frame and provided with perforations in its lower side and with a drain cock at one end thereof, a series of laterally perforated spray pipes radially mounted on said shaft and projecting between said frames, means for rotating said shaft when desired, and means for sup plying flushing fluid to the interior of said shaft. i

6. A filter unit for use in apparatus of the character described comprising a closed tank, a hollow tubular shaft revolubly mounted in said tank, a series of'filter frames removably supported in said .tank and loosely mounted upon said shaft and spaced soV apart thereon, each filter frame comprising a pair of foraminous sheets of metal spaced apart, with a supporting pipe secured in the upperA end of the frame and provided with perforations inV its lower side and with a drain cock at one end thereof, a series of laterally perforated spray pipes radially mounted on saidl shaft and projecting between said frames, scrapersmounted on said spray pipes, means for rotating said shaft when desired, and means for supplying flushing fluid to the interior of said shaft.

7 A filter unit for use in apparatus of the character described comprising a closed tank, a hollow tubular shaft reyolubly mounted in said tank, a series of filter frames removably' supported in said tank and loosely mounted upon said shaft and spaced apart thereon, a series of laterally perforated spray pipes radially mounted on said shafty and projecting between said frames, Scrapers mounted on said spray pipes, means for rotating said shaft when desired. means for supplying flushing fluid to the interior of said shaft, and means for supplying compressed air to the interior of 

